Though None Go With Me, Still I Will Follow You, Jesus

“…the sheep listen to his [Jesus’]voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice…I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me–just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep…My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” (John 10:3-5, 27-28)

Statistics say that 2 billion people on earth today profess to be “Christians”, but do all of these professors genuinely and wholeheartedly follow Jesus? Are they truly Jesus’ sheep or are they goats? And if they do not listen to Jesus’ voice or follow him, do they possess eternal life?

Someone once asked Jesus, “‘Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?’

He said to them, ‘Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets. But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’

“There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” (Luke 13:22-30)

Jesus also warned us:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day [Judgment Day], ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (Matthew 7:21-23)

See also Matthew 25.

Jesus makes it clear that in order to inherit eternal life, we must personally know him by entering into a relationship with him. He says, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3)my emphasis added). (See “Message” to learn how to enter into a personal relationship with God)

Christianity, in its pure, true form, is not a religion or a moral code, but a personal relationship with a Living Person–Jesus. There is a tremendous difference between the two!

There is also a great difference between those who follow Jesus and those who follow a Christian-like religion!

If the vast majority of these 2 billion people who profess to be Christians do not personally knowJesus, then… How can they possibly follow someone whom they have never seen (with the eyes of their heart), whose voice they have never heard (with their spiritual ears) and whom they have never known (in their spirits)? (See Matthew 13:11-17)

However, it’s not just unbelievers who get led astray into empty religion, and this is part of the real inspiration behind this drawing.

One of the great tragedies in Christendom throughout the ages (as both Jesus and the Bible warned would happen, Matthew 24:4-5, 10-11, Acts 20:27-31, 2 Timothy 3:1-7) is that many professing “Christians” have wandered away from following Jesus and have turned away to follow Christian-like religions which are based on human traditions. (Even evangelical Christianity can become “empty religion” if it becomes detached from Jesus the Person, the Head of his body, the Church (Ephesians 5:23)).

All Christians are susceptible to deception and can be led astray into false forms of “Christian” religion if we don’t remain vigilant and devoted to Christ. We are all capable of turning into “Christian Pharisees” if we aren’t careful. That is why it is so extremely important that we only follow Jesus and not be taken captive by the traditions, rules and structures that men have invented (and often try to lord over the flock of God) (See Acts 4-5).

When we were born again (John 3:1-21), we met Jesus and were founded, rooted and established in Christ himself. From this initial position of being rooted and established in HIM we must also continue in HIM (and not in anything or anyone else). (See “Rooted” (Believer’s Road Series 2).)

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:6-8)

The apostle Paul further distinguishes the difference between following Jesus and following a Christian-like religion when writing to the Galatian church. Though they had powerfully and personally encountered Jesus, false preaching and teaching later infiltrated the church. Paul says to them, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the ONE who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel–which is really no gospel at all” (Galatians 1:6-7), (my emphasis added).

A similar thing happened to those in the church at Corinth, and Paul rebuked them for turning away from their pure devotion to Christ, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough…For such men[who preach these false things]are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

This piece of artwork is about forsaking all to follow Jesus, even when nobody else in the surrounding crowd is truly following him. The lone sheep wants all of Jesus and nothing of the religion of man. This sheep treasures fellowship with Jesus more than relationships with man.

“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law–a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39)

Yes, Jesus, we would rather have you than anyone else or anything else. We forsake all to follow you.

Though none go with me, still I will follow, no turning back, no turning back.